Swiss health insurance premiums are going up again in 2016, this time by a hefty 3 to 4 percent, as predicted by health insurance association Santésuisse.
The occurrence of yet another major premium hike correlates with healthcare cost increases in 2015, compared to 2014. Costs rose 3.5 percent over those of the previous year, according to Santésuisse data presented to Radio SRF.
Medical specialists, the numbers of which are steadily increasing, have been exceptionally cost-intensive. This is amplified by the fact that many specialists now charge on a per-patient basis. The rise in medical bills for visits to specialists has been particularly notable.
Emergency care in Swiss hospitals, which is covered entirely by health insurers, is also on the rise. Emergency care differs from hospital stays in that the costs of the latter are partially covered by the canton.
At the end of the day, the higher healthcare costs in 2016 must be passed on to consumers in the way of higher premiums. This makes choosing the right insurance provider more important than ever.
The exact premiums for 2016 will be published by the Federal Office for Public Health on September 24, 2015. From that point on, the 2016 premiums will be fully integrated into the moneyland.ch health insurance comparison. Comparing health insurance premiums is recommended. Additionally, performing a comparison of supplemental hospital insurance and outpatient insurance is also a good idea.
moneyland.ch has programmed an unbiased and comprehensive health insurance calculator which takes all of the insurance models and options from all Swiss insurance providers into account, including family discounts.
Especially practical: You can also have the comparison automatically find the optimal deductible for all products – based on your estimated healthcare expenses – for as many people as you plan to insure.
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